Edward e



(No Model.)

B. R. KNOWLES.

I ELECTRIC LIGHT. Y

No. 246,956. Patented Sept- WITNESSES INVENTOR ATTORNEY I UNITE STATESPATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD R. KNOWLES, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC LIGHT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 246,956, datedSeptember 13, 1881.

Application filed June 20, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, EDWARD R. KNOWLES, acitizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county ofKings and State of New York, have invented certain new andusefulImprovements in Electric Lights; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to the letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form apartof this specification.

Myinvention relates to improvements in the feeding and lifting mechanismof electric-arc lights.

The objects of my invention are, first, to provide means by which therod carrying the upper carbon is clutched and firmly held sec ond, meansby which the clutching device is forced into position and released atthe proper time, so as to allow the rod to be fed downward. I attainthese objects by means of the mechanism shown in the accompanyingdrawings, and which will be more fully described in the specificationandpointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of my device; Fig. 2, aplan view of the plate holdingthe clamps, and Fig.3 a sectional detailview of the lower end of the device, showin gone position of therod-clampingmechanism.

- Referring more particularly to the drawings, A represents the ordinarycarbon-holding rod; D, a bobbin or solenoid of insulated wire; B, aniron core sliding therein, and capable of being drawn into the solenoidby virtue of its magnetic attraction when it is excited by electricaction. This core B is provided with two arms,B,projecting at rightangles to the body of the core, and perforated at b for the passage ofadjusting-screws S S.

G is a brass tube or sleeve adapted to move in and out of the core B,and has pivoted to it two cams, E E, and attached to it, by screws orotherwise, a thin metal plate, F. This plate acts as an armatureto thecore B when said core becomes magnetized by the solenoid.

E E are two cams or eccentric clutches, which are pivoted to a hollowsleeve, G, moving within the core B and surrounding the up percarbon-holding rod. These cams are so pivoted to the sleeve that theirinner convex surfaces may grasp the holding-rod and act as a clutch, aswill be hereinafter described.

To the lower end of sleeve G a thin iron plate is secured, which acts asan armature to core B. This plate is rigidly attached to the sleeve andmovably attached to the core by screws I I, Fig.2. Passing through theprojecting arms B are two adjusting-screws, S S, surrounded by springs GG, the distance-core B can emerge from the solenoid being determined bysaid screws.

In operation the action of the device, is as follows: The current entersat the point and passesaround coil D, thus rendering it magnetic andcausing it to magnetize, by induction, the core B, which, becomingstrongly magnetic, attracts its armature F, drawing it up, and, ofcourse at the same time the sleeve G, to which the armature F and earnsE are secured, is forced into the core B and the cams caused to turnaround their pivots, so that the larger curved surface of their innerconvexities is brought against the'rod A, thus grasping and holding itfirmly as long as the strong gradually descends therefrom until it restson the head of screw S. At this time the mag netic attraction of thecore for its armature has become so reduced that it will no longer holdthe armatureplate F, but allows it to fall, and as it falls it drawsdown the sleeve G, and at the same time the cams are turned about theirpivots in the opposite direction from the first movement, thus releasingtheir hold on rodA and permitting it to descend until a new contact ismade. This action is intermittent, and the are established andreestablished successively.

The proper length of the are is determined by the screws S S, the screwS being screwed into the plate surrounding the solenoid to a greater orless degree, as may be required,

The springs G G, passing around the screwshanks and abutting a gainstthe projections B and the solenoid plate, are compressed as the core Bis drawn up, and constantly act to force the core downward.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In an electriclight,the combination,with a magnet and a hollow armature-core, of amovable sleeve within such core, an armatureplate suitably secured tothe sleeve, and two cams acting as a clutch for the carbon-holding rod,said cams being pivoted to the sleeve in such manner that when thearmature-plate is drawn up to the armature-core the sleeve is forcedinto the core and the cams are turned on their pivots, so that theirinner convex surarmature-core, two cams pivoted to the sleeve and actingas a clutch, as described, an iron plate rigidly attached to said sleeveand ad justably attached to the armature-core, said plate being anarmature for the core, and thereby acting through the cams to raise andlower the carbon-holding rod, substantially as set forth.

3. In an electric light, a metallic sleeve, G, adapted to move in ahollow armature-core, and provided with two pivoted cams, E, and anarmature-plate, I substantially as and for the purpose set forth. I

4. In an electric light, the combination, with magnet D, core B, andarmature F, of the clamps E, sleeve G, rod A, and set-screws S S, as setforth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD RICHARDSON hNOWLES.

Witnesses WM. H. BROADNAX, SAML. B. TAYLOR.

